We Only Have Forever
by Mlle Dominique
Summary: This story is a collaborative piece, and is the work of two authors, myself and my friend LittleValerious. It's been thirty years since Sarah let the world fall down, leaving Jareth behind, and the pain of that is still very much fresh in his memory. With no intent to let her go, he still watches over her. Meanwhile, the book finds its way into new hands...
1. Chapter 1

\- Chapter 1 -

This house is beautiful.

It's modern, but has old-ish things inside of it. There is a grandfather clock near the couch (which in my opinion is a terrible place to put one of those, you're just sitting on your couch and then DING DONG). There are a few certificates hanging on the wall above the couch, across from it sits a flat screen TV, with a few random knick knacks on the shelf beside it. It's the perfect looking house, not as nice or nearly as stuck up as my parent's living room.

I still don't understand the placement of the Grandfather clock.

"Thank you again for babysitting Becca, it means a lot to us, and I know that Michael loves you to death." Mrs. Johnson says, breaking me from my inappropriate thoughts of how she decorates HER house. _Remember Becca, don't zone out like that!_

"Anytime Mrs. Johnson, I don't mind it at all." I smile and adjust my beanie. She smiles back and leads me into the kitchen.

"You can help yourself to anything in the kitchen, just make sure you wash the dishes." As she lists off all the things I have to remember, she wanders around the kitchen, making sure everything is where it needs to be. "There are leftovers for Michael and you for dinner in case you don't want to cook. He can have the TV in his room on for half an hour; if he isn't asleep by then you should turn it off. He's already had his bath, so no need to worry about that, and bedtime is 8:30. You are welcome to do whatever down here once he's asleep, and we should be back around eleven." Mrs. Johnson grabs her keys with her perfectly manicured hand. Honestly, I wish my hands looked like hers.

"Alright, I'll make sure he gets to bed on time, you don't have to worry." I smile at her.

"Thank you Becca, you're so very kind." My English teacher smiles as her husband enters the kitchen and takes her purse from her. Mr. Johnson is such an average man compared to her: his hair and eyes are both a dark brown, he has a clean shaven face and always wears suits. Mrs. Johnson almost always wears these interesting dresses or skirts; she's the exact opposite of plain, whereas her significant other dresses like a lawyer.

"Sarah, we'll be late, we've got to go." he says, calling after her. Then he turns to me, "Thank you again, Rebecca."

"Anytime Mr. Johnson." I smile at him. I honestly don't know how to feel about him. He seems nice enough, but I know hardly anything about him, so it's awkward when I do talk to him (despite the fact that I'm friends with his wife).

"Oh, I almost forgot: we've got some books in the attic if you want to read them, I know that TV can get boring." Mrs. Johnson winks at me. I smile even bigger, she knows how much I love books; especially fantasy ones, those are my favorite. I can get lost in a world of faeries and goblins and large forests full of things that I could never see in real life, and things that my parents will never let me dream about.

"Bye Becca! Make sure that he gets to bed on time, remember that!" She calls as they both walk out the front door. I smile and exit the large kitchen.

"Hey Mike and Ike, where'd you get off to?" I ask.

"Hide Bec hide!" The five year old boy in question runs through the living room.

"What, why?" I ask.

"Monster!" Michael yells just before Hoggle, the small white dog bounded into the room after him.

"Oh no, so scary!" I say, humouring him. He smiles, knowing I found it funny. "Come on now, I'm gonna make you some fish sticks." I laugh and run after the kid.

….

"Will you come back the next time Mommy and Daddy go out?" Michael asks me after I tucked him into his toy story bed.

"If you want me too, and if your mommy wants me too. Just tell her I was the best ever." I chuckle as I turn on his TV.

"Okay, I will." he smiles. "G'night, Becca."

"Sleep good Mike and Ike, before a half hour remember? Or I have to turn this thing off." I point to the television, playing 'Wander Over Yonder', his favourite show.

"Okay, I promise." The little boy yawns and I turn off his light and crack the door.

"Sleep well, little guy." I whisper. "I hope the faeries give you good dreams tonight." He smiles and rolls over in his bed, and I leave the room.

As soon as I take a few steps away I bolt to the attic as quickly and quietly as I can.

I run up the stairs two at a time on tip-toes before grasping the doorknob and pushing it open. I feel around for a switch; once I find one I flip it up and the room lights up. My dark green eyes scan the room until I see the bookshelf, it's about average size and is in the farthest corner of the room. Excited, I let out a little squeaking noise that I'm glad no one heard.

Carefully avoiding the boxes laying around the wood floor I made my way to the brown shelf. I run my fingers along the spines of the many different sized books. _These ones are a lot older than the ones downstairs in the living room. Mrs. Johnson probably keeps them up here so her son doesn't ruin them; they look like they could be worth some serious money._

My gaze lands on a bright red one that is unlike all of the others. I carefully pick it up and blow off the dust. _This one… it hasn't been touched in ages!_

Slowly I turn it over in my hands and run them along the smooth leather. It read ' _ **Labyrinth'**_ in bright gold letters. "No author…" I notice. "Weird." Stroking the smooth red leather cover, I can tell it's been well kept over the years.

"Well it's not that dumb Percy Jackson book, that's for sure." I say to myself. I look at the back, no summary of what it's about at all. I open the book to the first page, again looking for a summary or an author's name, but finding nothing but the first chapter.

"It must be a first edition," I say aloud. "There's not even a copyright on it." The first letter in the book is in beautiful cursive with a rose above it; a great way to begin the chapter. I smile and sit against the wall, beginning to read.

It was a beautiful tale, with a beautiful young girl, goblins, faeries, other magnificent creatures, and the thing that intrigued me the most: a Goblin King. A ruthless, yet beautiful Goblin King with striking blond hair, differently coloured eyes, and a charmingly deceptive smile; who wore strange clothes and could manipulate dreams with crystal balls. All of the characters were well developed by whoever wrote this, as if the author knew each one personally - even the very minor ones.

"Oh, crap." I say when I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket, it's nearly ten o'clock! I haven't checked on Michael yet! He could still be awake watching cartoons! I quickly grab the book and sprint down the stairs of the attic, forgetting to close the door. I reach his room in less than a minute and slowly open the door.

The five year old boy is buried in the blankets, I can see his chest moving up and down as he takes slow breaths. I sigh in relief and creep over to the TV and turn it off for him. I use my phone as a light and find my way out of the room and into the living room below. I set the book on the couch and adjust my beanie, making it sit right on my head.

Glancing over to the book, I'm reminded of just how good it was, and how much I wanted to keep reading it. I sigh deeply, and pick it back up, starting where I had left off. I was utterly entranced by it; I'm honestly surprised I haven't heard of it before. An ageless, all-powerful and beautiful Goblin King who falls in love with a simple human girl; a land full of impossibilities and fantastic creatures, where the laws of physics don't always apply… It was amazing, and beautiful, and unique.

Basically, everything I was not. Or rather, everything I wanted to be, but was not allowed to be.

"Mom would hate this book… Dad might burn it…" I sigh as I remember our conversation before driving over to Mrs. Johnson's place.

" _You have to save up at least some money, we're going to pay for most of your schooling, but_ _books and equipment still cost money, dear. How can you expect to be a doctor if you can't even handle a budget?"_

I sigh as their voices ring in my head.

" _You need to get better grades; I see the A in Art but not Biology."_

" _Rebecca dear, you shouldn't spend all of your time painting, you should study some too."_

" _Rebecca, why don't you come to the hospital with me today? You could get some first hand experience."_

" _Rebecca-"_

" _Rebecca, dear-"_

" _Rebecca…"_

"I don't want to be a doctor." I confess to myself, silencing their phantom voices. "I want to be an artist… I don't want to be just like them, I want to be my own person." I mumble to myself. "But it's not like there's any money in art anyway. They're right, I'd just end up starving to death on an artist's salary. I should make them happy… make them proud of me. I just… I wish I could be myself, I wish I could paint all the time, and explore, and see things I've never seen before…" I sigh. I cross my arms.

"I wish I wasn't here right now."

Suddenly the grandfather clock chimes. Startled, I look over at it. It's only 10:17.

"It's not on the hour; why is it-"

Glass shatters in the kitchen, causing me to jump. Before I can head into the room to investigate, a wind blows through the room, making my dark brown hair fly in all directions around me. _I can't see! What's going on!_

I yelp as the grandfather clock chimes ten times louder than it should be chiming. The lights flicker on and off, disorienting me further. I manage to get my hair out of my face, but I still can't tell what's going on. The house is shaking and the clock is still chiming, and I have no idea why. I back up, hoping to get my back to the wall so that nothing can hurt me, but back into something before I hit it.

I accidently shriek and whirl around to see what I've run into. My jaw drops.

It was a man, he was almost a foot taller than I, wearing leather pants, and a old leather jacket with a strange collar. His blond hair was something that looked like it had come from some kind of 80's movie, and he had one brown eye, one blue. He is bizarrely beautiful, and I stop. He tilts his head and smiles, and the clock stops chiming.

It stops chiming at the thirteenth hour.

For a moment or two, it's like my brain couldn't think if it tried to.

And then I realize… what in the hell is he doing here?

"Who the fuck are you?" I yell at him, taking out my confusion on him.

"Do watch your language," he responds, with a deep British accent that sends chills down my spine. "After all, there is a child upstairs." As the shock starts to fade away, panic quickly sets in in its place.

"He-he's sleeping." I stammer. "How the hell did you even know about him? Who are you? Get the fuck out of here!" I grab my phone and quickly unlock it to dial 911. The man scoffs quietly.

"Whatever it is you're planning, it's not going to do anything, Rebecca. I'm not even here for you."

"Y-you… how do you know my-"

"Your name? You honestly haven't figured it out yet, have you?" He starts to circle me, and I can just feel the intimidation crawling down my skin. "Tsk, tsk, Rebecca. I took you to be smarter than that."

"What the hell…" I mutter. He looked and acted just like…

"Are you… the Goblin King?" I take a step back. "You are, aren't you? You're King Jareth..."

 _You're… real._

"Glad to see we both know who the other is." he snarks back dryly.

"Why are you here." I say, slowly, with as much tension as I can muster. I try to stand up a little straighter and adjust my beanie again, making sure I look slightly more confident.

"Relax, Rebecca, like I've said before, I didn't come here for you." He sits down on the air, regally, as if it were a throne. "I've come for the babe, naturally."

 _Michael._

"Well, you can't have him. He's mine. I'm supposed to be taking care of him. Besides, I didn't even wish him away! You can't." I glare.

"You wished for a life without responsibility. I intend to give that to you." The Goblin King starts circling me, menacingly, and almost… seductively. "You are a talented young lady, Rebecca. You don't deserve the lot you've been cast. Let me take him off your hands. He is only the price you'd have to pay for the life you've wanted. I can make your parents understanding. I can grant you entry to the finest art colleges in the world. All I ask in return is a sleeping child of whom you have no relation to." Now standing in front of me, he leans in, forcing me to make eye contact.

"Surely, that can't be so bad." he says lowly.

"He is in my care. I won't let you take him." I grit my teeth, and try to let him know I mean business. I step away from the intimidating man and use my body to block the stairway.

"What's done is done, Rebecca. You made the wish. I am here to grant it."

"But you can't! You can't…because..." I'm struggling for words, knowing how this works. He's right. I should have been more careful what I wished for.

 _But it's not like I meant to make a wish in the first place!_

The Goblin King sits impatiently, waiting for me to make up my mind.

 _What am I going to do…_

 _How did the girl in the story get out of this…_

 _A deal!_

"I want to make a trade!"

"Oh?" he responds, amused. "What could you trade me that I would want?"

 _Okay, so, maybe I didn't think this far ahead._

"You could… you could…" I lower my gaze and I try to figure something out. "I… I have money…?"

"I don't want your paper. I don't even like the people on it." He yawns. "Can't you think of something more interesting, Rebecca?"

 _Fuck._

 _Yeah, I guess I should have seen that coming._

"You could… take me, instead." I cringe at the corny ' _ **Beauty and the Beast'**_ line that just came out of my mouth. _Why does this disturb you more than the fact that you just OFFERED YOURSELF TO THE KING OF THE FUCKING GOBLINS?_

"You would offer yourself in the place of a little boy who isn't even related to you?" He leans closer, making me uncomfortable. _Oh geez…_

"Yes… I told you, you can't have him." I take a step back, he's too close. "Besides, this way you can grant my wish; if you take me, I won't have to become a doctor or go to medical school, I won't have to do any of that. You grant my wish, and Michael goes free." I stop breathing for a moment, what if he says no? What if he's repulsed by the very thought? I can't let him have Michael.

 _It's too easy. There's no way he'll say yes._

 _And this is all my fault._

"Hm." He pauses, considering, and I swallow hard, trying to look strong. Finally he speaks, with that cruelly enchanting voice of his.

"You make an excellent offer, Rebecca." My hopes rise for a split second. _Is he really…?_

"But I'm not going to accept it."

 _What?_

"Frankly, my dear," his cold eyes piercing me, " _I don't want you."_

 _He doesn't..._

I squeeze my eyes shut, and lower my head. I can feel myself shaking lightly.

I'll lose Michael forever. Mrs. Johnson would hate me. The police would probably blame me. I'll end up in prison and never go to any school, medical or otherwise. My parents would hate me. I hate me. And everything would all be my fault. All because I said the wrong words at the wrong time.

"I can't! I won't let you! I don't want you to do this! I don't want you to take Michael! He's done nothing wrong, he shouldn't have to… he shouldn't have to pay for the fact that I wasn't good enough!" I'm getting close to crying at this point, but whether it's because of pride or fear I don't let myself. I look up at him, and look as fearless as I can while I shake in my boots.

"Please! Take _me_! Let Michael live the rest of his life the way he was supposed to. Let him, let everyone forget me. It's my fault. Let me pay for this. Please, I'll do whatever you want. Just…" I stop myself before my voice cracks. I can't cry in front of him.

"Why should I just do what you want, hm?" he responds with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I thought myself more than gracious for the offer I've already made you." The Goblin King gets down from the invisible throne he had been sitting in, and steps toward me. "Honestly, you are being incredibly ungrateful."

"I'm sorry, I'm… I'm not trying to be, I just-" I stop myself. _Apologizing isn't going to get me out of this. I need to give him something he wants._

"What can I do? What do you want?" I look up into his mismatched eyes, he's almost a full head taller than me.

Crossing his arms, he scoffs and glares at something in the distance. "What I want, little girl," he says coldly, "You could never give me."

 _Little girl? I'm sixteen._

"But there has to be something…" Despite my best efforts, my eyes start to water a little. "I have to do something…" _This can't be happening. It isn't fair!_ Clenching my fists together, I look up at him through blurry eyes.

"Why do you even have to grant my wish anyway? I never wanted you either! I didn't go out of my way to make a wish to you, I was just complaining out loud!" I start taking my frustrations out at him, but do my best not to yell too loudly. "Why can't you just go away?!"

"You hold the book, Rebecca," he says frustratedly. He keeps his voice low but I can hear his temper rising. "You hold the power. You made a wish while it was in your possession."

"I didn't want to! I didn't mean it!"

"You _did_ mean it. That's the problem."

"But I didn't! I was just rambling out loud."

"It doesn't matter; you must have meant it or else I wouldn't be here. Honestly, I told you I would give you everything you ask for and you act so impudently-"

"Not everything I asked for! I asked for you to leave Michael alone! He's innocent."

"Well of course he's innocent, that's not the point."

"Well, then what is the goddamned point, Mr. Goblin King?"

"That wishes come with a price. You made a wish to me, and I even made the effort to come here to grant it myself."

"You didn't have to do that! I don't want you here!"

"I don't want you either, little girl."

"If you don't want me so badly, then why the fuck did you even come!?"

"Because I thought-!" He finally loses his temper, then stops mid-sentence. Apparently he decided not to finish that thought. He stops, and for a second I see an emotion that I don't recognize in his strange eyes. Something somewhere in between anger, sadness, and… desperation. And then as quickly as that second comes, it goes. He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, all they hold for me is a muted glare. A glare which, quite honestly, was the most beautiful and frightening thing I've ever seen.

"Well done, little girl." The Goblin King laughs lightly, regaining his composure. Crossing his arms, he looks down at me. "You managed to get a rise out of me. Not many can succeed in provoking me like that."

He takes a step closer, and holds his chin in his hand. "You seem so quiet to the world, don't you? But in reality, you're a vulgar little beastie, Rebecca." He leans forward, bringing him down to my eye level, and very close to my face. "Such a sharp and vile tongue you have. With a fiery spirit, too, I see." I flinch, and try to look away from him. But he's so close to me that it's hard to do.

"Okay, Rebecca." he says, tilting my face back toward him with two gloved fingertips. "Let's say I agree to your trade. What would I possibly gain from it?"

 _Be strong, Becca. Be strong for Michael… and for yourself, too._

I force myself to open my eyes, and stare deep into his. I'm not going to let him do his little power play.

"I would be your prisoner. I'd have to do whatever you want."

"Still not quite interesting enough." he retorts, tilting his head to the right. "You'll have to do better than that, Rebecca."

"How am I supposed to give you a better offer if I don't know what you want?" I snark back sarcastically, keeping my voice low.

"Ah, I was right about you." he replies dryly. "Sharp wit."

"Michael is off the table. And to be honest I don't think you really want him either."

"Too sharp." He tilts his head to the other side. "You clever little snake."

"I know I'm not good enough for you, but you don't have to be rude." I sneer back. His face twists in disgust for a moment, then goes back to his intimidating stare. "You know what, Rebecca," he says, "I honestly don't think there's anything you could give me that I would ever want."

"But, you came all the way here. I'm not letting you take Michael and you don't even want him, so…" I say confidently, even though there are still tears in my eyes.

"So what have you got to lose?"

The Goblin King stares at me intently, as if searching my eyes for any kind of weakness. It's honestly terrifying, but I can't help but stare back. After about ten seconds, he finally smiles, a charming, but clearly fake smile.

"Very well, Rebecca. You have yourself a deal."

I let out the breath I had unconsciously been holding in for what felt like a few centuries.

"Just be warned, a promise with a fae lasts a lifetime. I don't ever break my promises. And if you ever dare try to, the consequences are extremely dire." Tapping my face with that gloved hand of his, another shiver goes down my spine. "Do you understand?"

I swallow hard. "I do. Crystal clear."

He scoffs at me, then finally steps away from me, and I can relax.

"Fine. Consider yourself my prisoner from now on."

"And Michael?"

"... As per our agreement, I will not take the boy."

I breathe out a sigh of relief. I did it. I managed to negotiate with the Goblin King. Michael is safe.

 _Michael is safe._

"Thank you… Goblin King." I rub my hands, something I often do when I'm nervous, and I don't dare look up at him. _It's bad enough I already cried in front of him._ All of my confidence that I had was gone now that the main crisis was averted. And after that show of bravado I didn't have the courage to show him how quiet and meek I actually was. Still, I was so happy that Michael would be safe, would get to live a normal life like the normal little kid he was. I was extremely happy that I had successfully negotiated with him, and genuinely grateful he took my offer.

"If you dare cry like that in front of me again, I'll retch."

 _Well, fuck you too. And here I was being grateful._

"Okay." Is all I manage to say.

Suddenly, the clock starts chiming again, My head snaps to look at the large Grandfather clock, but it's different… smaller. The room… the entire room is smaller than it was before. I try to concentrate on it, try to figure out what's going on, but the room continues to grow smaller. The city appears, I look around me to see all of it flying past, my hair blows around me in the wind that I can't feel is there.

I look back to the clock, and it's still the same distance from me as before. It's not me that's moving, the world is. The room disappears entirely as the bright city quickly turns to mountains, then a grassy pasture, I look above me to see the stars whizzing above me looking like nothing but tiny lights. The stars turn into a gray sky, I look back down to see a strange looking forest that rapidly changes to a hedge maze, then a beautiful forest, then a tiny city, finally the world sits still in a large room.

I gasp for breath and actually move my legs to see if they work. They fail me and as I tumble backward, two hands steady me. Two gloved hands. I hear the voice behind me.

"Well, Rebecca." his voice says, rich and dark, "Welcome to The Underground."


	2. Chapter 2

\- Chapter 2 -

My legs almost buckle a second time, but I manage to stand up. _That was so… beautiful. I didn't know the world could be so beautiful._ I stagger my breaths; my lungs haven't exactly caught up with me yet.

"That… what was that?" I manage to ask.

"If you found that astonishing, you're going to find yourself incredibly out of place here, Rebecca." the Goblin King responds. "There are far stranger things here in the Underground." Looking past him, I finally take in the room we've arrived in. The walls are made of sculpted sandstone, which take in the orange sky seeping in from the windows really well. The floors are made from the same material, and the whole room seems to glow. _Such warm colours… I really want to paint this._ My hands feel restless and my mind is spinning with inspiration.

"Stop gawking, it's embarrassing." The Goblin King starts walking down a hallway full of arched windows. "Follow me." he says over his shoulder, clearly not waiting for me.

 _Oh, that's right. I'm here with this asshole._

I try not to let him ruin my mood. _Try to make the best of this, Becca._

 _Yeah. Make the best of this. You're only the eternal prisoner of a being you don't even understand. No big deal._

"Wh-Where are we going?" I jog behind him so that I am not so far from his long stride. "To your room, naturally." he replies without looking back. I can tell he doesn't really want to talk, so I take in the scenery instead. The windows to my left show me beautifully unusual landscapes, with twisted trees and a forever sunset sky. I want to go out and explore it further, but I know I probably shouldn't. I don't know what's out there, and I certainly don't want to find out by having it bite me. The castle looks beautiful, but not in a conventional way. It feels like it was built ages and ages ago, but the stone doesn't show it. It's not quite like how I imagined when I was reading the book earlier.

The book!

Did I leave it at home? Oh no! That's the one advantage I have in this world!

Lost in my thoughts, I end up bumping into the Goblin King, not realizing that he's stopped. I immediately apologise, but his face sours anyway.

"This is your room." The old wooden door opens by itself, revealing a simple room with stone walls and a bed in the corner. I walk inside, and it doesn't have much in it. There's a vanity with a mirror, an empty wardrobe, and a window, and that's pretty much it. Even the bed is plain; only big enough for one person to lie on comfortably and white blankets on top. No pillow.

"It's… better than I expected." I say truthfully. I honestly thought he was going to have me in a prison cell or a dungeon or something like that. I actually have a window. I genuinely appreciated that. "Thank you-" but when I turn around, he's gone. The door shuts on its own, making an audible click.

"Wh-" I adjust my beanie. "What the heck am I supposed to do all day anyway?" I huff and look at my converse. "He doesn't honestly expect me to just sit and twiddle my thumbs by myself does he? And what am I supposed to eat?" I realize I'm just complaining out loud, and that no one is listening, but it does help to relieve some of my stress. I'm trying very hard to ignore the reality that is setting in. That this isn't a vacation. That this is my life now.

"Agh, fuck." I groan. I go over to the bed in the corner and flomp. _Fuck him. I don't fucking care. I'll just sleep myself to death._ I close my eyes and kick off my shoes. _What would he care anyway? He doesn't even want me. I bet if I died he'd open up a fucking bottle of champagne._

I sigh loudly, and curl up in a ball. _I mean, I don't want him either. I never meant to make a wish in the first place._ _At least now I won't have to be a doctor, I can just… wallow away here… no parents telling me what to do… no babysitting… no budgeting… no internet, no painting, no friends… no family…_

 _Forever._

Against my wishes, I start to tear up a little bit. "NO, no." I tell myself. "I'm not going to cry. Michael is safe. I'm safe. I'm going to make the best of this." I wipe my face, slap my cheeks, and take off my beanie. In doing so I catch a glimpse of the golden sky from the window. _It's so gorgeous…_ I get up, and go over to the windowsill. Leaning out over it, I can finally get a closer look at this strange new world.

Through my window, I can see bizarrely beautiful wildflowers in the strangest of colours, filling up a small field like dots of paint. Beyond that is the twisted forest, with its dark wood and verdant leaves, and beyond that still is a distant mountain range that seems to go on forever.

"Maybe I'll go find… something to do outside." I think out loud. "I mean, I could die, but as we've already established that might be a good thing."

A soft breeze brushes through my hair, rushing past my nose. It smells sweet. The strange-looking wildflowers shift with the wind, dancing in their own way. The impossibly twisted trees add to the song as their leaves rustle gracefully. "This world is just too beautiful." I whisper.

I end up just staring at it all for another fifteen minutes, just trying to take it in. I take a deep breath, and let it out slowly; the first real breath I've taken since I met him. I climb up and sit on the windowsill, gazing out at the world I now belong to.

"Maybe it has something for me."

I decide to go and investigate tomorrow. I'm way too tired right now, and I don't think _he_ would approve much. I need to eat, I need to sleep, but more importantly, I need to figure out a way to leave this room.

I walk over to the door and run my fingers along the old wood. _Should I ask him about it? He might say yes. He doesn't care about me anyway. Then again, I don't think he's that generous. Maybe I should just leave on my own. But how?_ I jiggle the door handle, and find that it isn't locked.

"Yes!" I say under my breath. I open the door, but see nothing but hallway on either side. "Um…" I realise that I wasn't paying attention on our way here. I don't know which way we came from, or even what I would find if I went back that way. I have no idea where anything is. And if this castle is anything like it is in the book, then I could easily get lost here.

"Agh, what the hell? If I end up dead or somewhere he doesn't want me to be, he can deal with it and come get me." I smile and go to my right. I'll just keep my hand on one wall, and only go for five turns. If I don't find anything interesting, I'll turn back and go left instead. I step out of my room with as much confidence as I can muster, and close the door. Placing my hand on the right wall, I start walking.

After a minute or so, I find my first turn. Right or left? I grit my teeth and go right. I find myself in a large plain room after a while. In it, I see chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, but no other furniture. There is, however, a beautiful picture of Jareth upon a hearth, looking regal and wearing all white, sitting upon a large red throne, smiling with that charming, sinister smile. I find myself staring at it for a moment or two.

"I've known him for maybe an hour and I hate that smile… I wonder if I always will…" I stare for a moment longer. "Yeah… yeah I always will." I shift my weight onto my other leg and look closer at the picture. "Beautiful painting though. Did goblins paint it, or… how does goblin society work anyway…?" As I stare at his portrait, I find myself wondering how exactly goblins do anything. Did goblins build this castle? I always kind of thought that they were really stupid. _Well, I guess I'm going to find out eventually. I only have forever to figure out this place. Guess there's no rush._

My eyes wander over his portrait, and land upon his enchanting gaze. I blink up at his painted, mismatched eyes. _He really is beautiful. Unfortunately._ I sigh. _Why is a cruel man like him so…_ I shake my head. I don't want to think about him.

"Agh, fuck him. What do I care." And so I left the room, turning right again. This leads to a long room with mirrors on the walls. Not those long, industrial mirrors, like in ballet studios. No, just small mirrors of every shape and size, ornately framed in bronze and every one unique. Nearly every part of the walls were covered.

 _What the heck? That's pretty strange. Why mirrors of all things?_ Looking around, I notice it makes an interesting effect. I walk down the hall, and observe myself in every mirror. It's almost like looking through broken glass, but not quite, and I can see myself repeating in some of the larger mirrors because of the reflections behind me. It was actually really cool.

I walk farther down the hall, and find a quaint little mirror at my eye level. It's ovaline, and reminds me of a victorian portrait, the way the bronze curls about its frame. The glass is a little bit cloudy, but not by much. I look at myself, and play pretend that it was my royal portrait. I do my best impression of the Goblin King's portrait from the room previous. I laugh a little to myself; I look silly, making faces in a mirror. Then I get a little bit sad. I don't look nearly as impressive as he did. My nose is a little too round, my lips are a little too thin. I don't look regal at all.

 _Well, I shouldn't feel too bad about it. I'm only human after all._

Maybe I'll look more professional as I grow older...or maybe not. I shrug it off and keep walking down the hall. Once I finally reach the end, I make note that the Hall of Mirrors would be a fun place to hang out if I got bored. I leave the room, and find a smaller one, with nothing inside. Rather plain, in fact.

I hear scratching and high pitched mumbles to my right, and stop in place. _I did hear that… right?_ I stop at the corner and peer around, looking back at the room I just left. There are two little creatures, just, walking around, and, I guess, talking?

"AH!" I shriek and pull back into the empty room, shutting the door on the hall of mirrors. _That was a natural reaction, right? Yeah, totally._

Once I catch my breath, I notice that the impish mumbling is still going on. _What were those things? Goblins? I mean, I guess so. What else would they fucking be?_ The sounds were getting closer; they sounded… confused? Curious? _I don't know, does that even count as talking? If it does I'd have no idea what language. Goblinese?_

"You thinks it's her?" one of them says.

"I dunno, it's not an us." A deeper voice answers. _An us? Goblins… no grammar._ I hold my breath and open the door. The two of them are much closer than I thought, and they practically spill out onto the floor at my feet.

"Ah!" I scream again, though admittedly quieter than the first time.

"Sar-!" The larger says, but seems to cut himself off. They both stand up, and look at me closer like they're inspecting me, tilting their little heads and smelling me. "Um…" I mutter, very uncomfortable.

"You're not her." the smaller finally concludes.

"Huh? I'm not who? I'm… I'm a her… What do you mean?" I tilt my head to the side.

"Oh, nuffink, lady." says the larger.

"We just thoughts you was someone else." The smaller says.

"Who else would I be?" I ask, bending down to their level.

"We're, um…" the larger begins, but is cut off. "We's not allow to say." the little one pipes up. "King Jareth gets real mad. It's never good when King Jareth gets mads like that."

"Nuh uh, no goods, not at all." the larger agrees, shaking his head.

"Will he kill you or something?" I question.

"No, but…" They both look at their little goblin feet. "Is no goods, not at all." _Hm. I guess they don't want to talk about it._

"Why is you here, anyways?" The smaller speaks up. "If you not her, then what are you?"

 _Should I say? I guess they're all going to find out about me eventually. I live here now._

"You can call me Becca." I tell them. "I um… I'm… King Jareth's prisoner." It sucks to actually say that out loud.

"Prisoner?" asks the larger. "But if you prisoner, why you free?"

"I… uh… I don't really know?... I guess I don't need a cell, I won't try to run." Not like I'd get anywhere if I did. I kind of live in another dimension now.

"Well, Beccas is pretty." says the larger.

"Yeah, real pretties!" the smaller agrees.

"Haha, thank you… what are your names?" I smile at them. _They remind_ _me_ _of little kids._

"Grup!"

"I'm Gurgle!" They smile(?), looking excited to introduce themselves to me. It was honestly pretty cute.

"I like those names. Very… unique…" I giggle.

"What are you doing out here, Rebecca?"

Shocked, I gasp and turn around, bumping into Jareth's chest. He doesn't seem angry, but somehow I still feel intimidated.

 _Fun's over._

"The door was open, so I-" I look down to my newfound friends, who seem equally as nervous in their king's presence. "I just walked around for a bit. I was going to go right back-"

"I know." he replies. His voice sounds calm, but it doesn't ease my nerves. "I can tell you're not as much a rebel as you think you are."

"How many goblins are around here?" I try to steer from me being in trouble.

"You're terrible at changing the subject, Rebecca. Honestly, you can do better than that." he circles around me, looking down on the two goblins at my feet.

"I asked a simple question…" I back away, closer to the smaller creatures as though they can save me somehow.

"Because you think I'll forget that you've been running amok in my castle?"

"Okay first of all, I was walking; second, all I've done is talk to these guys. I haven't done anything wrong have I, Mr. Goblin King?" I move to adjust my beanie but forget that I'd left it on the bed. I put my arms across my chest instead.

"Oh, is that all? Well then." he responds demurely. "Then, I guess you wouldn't be interested in knowing that your dinner is ready."

"Huh?" I tilt my head for a moment. _They have food here? Well… of course stupid, he can't hold me here without providing the simple needs of LIFE._

"I was going to send these two to go and notify you, but when I saw that you were mucking around out here, I thought I'd stop by and tell you personally. How nice of me, don't you agree?"

"Ha ha… right…" I laugh weakly, going along with it. I don't really want to make him angry twice in the same day.

"Wait… how did you know that I was here?"

"We can talk more over dinner." He looks down at Gurgle and Grup, who hide behind my ankles. "And why weren't you two where you were supposed to be?" he asks, with a slight edge to his voice.

"We was…" says Gurgle the smaller.

"We thoughts that…" says Grup the larger.

"They thought there was an intruder in the castle." I speak up, defending them. _If he finds out that they were looking for She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, he'll probably skin them alive._ "So, they went looking and found me. I let them know that I'll be living here now…" I swallow hard, hoping he's buying it. "We're friends now."

"Oh, is that so?" he replies, never shifting his gaze from the two little goblins. "Well then. I hope you're well acquainted." He turns his eye to me, and a shiver runs down my spine. "Shall we go?" he asks me, with a sense of debonair, and false sincerity.

"Of course." I respond quietly. _I think it worked?_

He turned, and I went to follow him. Just before he left the room, he turned back to the two goblins. "What are you still doing here?" he asks, irritated. They snap to attention, and bumble out of the room, mumbling apologies and talking in that weird goblin-speak to each other. Once they were gone, the Goblin King turned back to me with a false smile, and nodded at me, implying I follow him.

I walk behind him just staring at his back. I don't really want to make my situation any worse, so I don't try to say anything. Eventually, we reach a large room with a table that looks older than me but new at the same time. It's just what a royal table should look like. Long and rectangular. It is a gorgeous dark brown wood. I smile; it's something that I've always wanted to see. The room has tall, arched windows that show a similar view to the one I have in my room. The sun is setting now, revealing a grayish sky just beginning to show the remnants of stars.

Just as beautiful as the king that rules it.

He walks ahead of me while I gawk at the sky. Stopping at the head of the table, he leans on the back of the master's chair.

"Go on, have a seat." he says, indicating the chair to the right of the head of the table.

"Um… sure…" I sit at his right, a little uncomfortably. I look at my thumbs. I really wish I had my beanie…

"So um, what's for dinner?" I ask, trying to fill the silence.

"What do you want for dinner?" he returns.

"Huh?" I'm confused. "I thought you said dinner was ready?"

"It is." he says, lifting his eyes to meet me. "What do you want for dinner?" I'm not really understanding what he's getting at.

"Um… I guess… Chinese?" I respond tentatively. "Honey walnut shrimp." Suddenly, I smell exactly what I'm craving. I look down, and sure enough, there is a plate of Panda Express, steaming and with plenty of shrimp.

"Wh-How?" I stutter. I look up at him, genuinely amazed. "How did you…?"

"I don't have much taste for human food." he responds, mildly amused at my reaction. "So, I don't see much point in choosing your meals for you. It's just more work for me, and I don't feel like it." A wine glass appears in his hand, and fills with a dark red liquid.

"Can… can I try that?" I look at the drink in awe; it's going to take some getting used to things just popping out of thin air like that.

"This? Oh, I don't think so." he smiles grimly, swirling it in the glass. "Let's just say, this isn't wine."

"What the hell? What is it?" I look at it more carefully, trying to recognize what it is.

"It doesn't really matter what it is. You can't have it. Literally." he takes a sip, then goes back to observing the drink.

"What's that supposed to mean? Think I can't handle something that you can?" I slightly frown feeling a bit insulted.

"Don't pout so much, little girl. I wasn't trying to offend you." he looks over at me, a snide look on his face. "It's not meant for humans to consume. If you were to taste this, any other food you'd ever eat would be as good as dust. And frankly, I don't feel like sharing."

"I was _frowning_ , not pouting, and I'm sixteen in case you didn't know… I'm not that much of a child."

"Compared to me, you may as well be a babe. Don't act so high and mighty." Jareth takes another sip, appearing more interested in his drink than me. _Jerk._

"Whatever. Thank you for the food, I guess." I pick up a pair of chopsticks and start picking at my food. _Sure beats leftovers and fish sticks for dinner._ "So… how _did_ you know where I was earlier?" I ask before nibbling on a shrimp. I'm slightly afraid that this too might harm me somehow. Surprisingly, it tastes really good.

"Rebecca, what kind of a King would I be if I didn't know what was going on in my own castle?" he responds dryly.

"Um… uh…"

 _Yeah, okay, I guess he's got a point._

"A pretty stupid one, I guess." I reply sheepishly.

"Exactly." he drinks again from his glass. He doesn't seem to be eating. Is he not hungry? Or maybe he doesn't need to eat? "To be honest," he continues, "I thought I would observe you. I was curious to see what you would do." He looks me in the eyes this time. "I left the door unlocked for a reason, you know." Suddenly the realization hits me.

"You… you were watching the whole time?" I ask him, a little embarrassed.

"Of course."

"You're not going to do that often… are you?"

"No, to be honest it would bore me too much if that was all that I ever did." Looking back at his drink, now half empty. He swirls it elegantly in his glass. "You're not as interesting as you'd like to think you are."

"I didn't mean it like that…" I can feel my face getting a little bit red. I don't know if it's because he's embarrassing me, or pissing me off. Both, I guess? "I mean to say… you're not going to be looking in my room a lot, are you? I'm a lady."

"You don't mean to insinuate that I was a Peeping Tom, do you?" he responds, with a sarcastic tone. "Honestly, Rebecca, what do you take me for?"

"A kinda freaky Goblin ruler who kidnaps children." I say dryly. His fake smile fades lightly, but stays on his lips. "I don't really have interest in such things. Not with you." he says, staring into the glass. "Fae aren't like humans. Don't compare me to them."

"Good, I might have injured you if you did." I smile for real this time and take a bite of the shrimp. "I'm sorry, the human men that I know aren't like you, I… I need to get used to it." I make a slight effort to apologise for thinking that he was some sort of pig. _I mean, he's an asshole, sure, but at least he isn't a pervert._

"Don't worry, Rebecca." he says in response, clearly not taking offense. "After all, we only have forever to get to know each other."

"Yeah… heh." I laugh weakly, as the reality of my situation once again sets in. Staring down at my plate, I can feel my appetite fading.

 _Forever._


End file.
